Past

Expert Picks

Notre Dame went 6-9 without Bonzie Colson, the heart and soul of the Irish who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds a game this season. He's had five games back and is slowly getting back into rhythm. With him in the lineup, Notre Dame is a top-25 team ratings-wise, which makes them about 5-points better than Oklahoma, which made the NCAA Tournament. Sure, the Irish are disappointed they didn't make it, but between team leaders Colson and guard Matt Farrell, their two leading scorers -- and seniors, they don't want their Irish careers to end anytime soon. The NIT is a re-birth or sorts and they'll take pride in how they finish. This spread is cheap by 4.5-points when considering it's in South Bend. Irish laying the big number actually has value.